‘ELVIS LIVES!’: Quebec teen hailed as reincarnation by National Enquirer

The National Enquirer secured its reputation as the celebrity tabloid of record in August 1977 when its cover featured a photo of Elvis Presley in his casket.

While that was followed by over 36 years of stories about Dead Elvis — along with likely coverage of the period in the mid-1980s when The King was the subject of unverified reports of being alive and well — the Enquirer has finally found a legitimate basis for a story of a “TEEN POSSESSED BY ELVIS.”

Sure, the news is only worthy of the bottom right corner, given how there turned out to be bigger stories for the first print edition of 2014.

But the claim of an Elvis reincarnation is still being counted on to sell a few papers.

David Thibault, the 16-year-old from rural Quebec who shot to viral fame in mid-December with a video of his CKOI radio performance of “Blue Christmas” — and subsequently made the U.S. media rounds — offered his insight into the experience in a story described as an exclusive.

“All this attention is like a dream,” Thibault told the Enquirer. “I’m not sure how to handle it, but it’s fantastic!”

Then again, his mother is quoted saying all that probably needs to be said:

“I’m super proud of David and I love listening to him perform like Elvis. Some­times, I can’t believe he’s my son!”

Videos that feature him performing other Presley classics like “Baby Let’s Play House” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” have also gained in popularity alongside the attention granted the Christmas classic.

Christmas might be over by Jan. 8, but the teenager will perform his signature Elvis song at least a couple more times this winter, at the Elvis Birthday Celebration held at his Graceland mansion in Memphis.